


Sight

by Skainsmate



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Bullying, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Ghosts, Gift Fic, Horror, Paranormal, Peril, Self-Doubt, Toxic Relationships, excluding rid 2015 entirely, post-canon tfp, reader is female, shadow zone, some mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-04-20 00:30:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14249166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skainsmate/pseuds/Skainsmate
Summary: You can see things other people can't.And one of those things is an alien robot from a distant planet.





	1. I see dead people

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Slytherin_to_that_ass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherin_to_that_ass/gifts).



> * this is gift fic for my dear friend - happy belated bday cait!!! thank you for always being so kind to me! im sorry it took ages to get this out lmaoooo. hope you like it!

You couldn’t believe you were doing this.

 

Carefully placing your feet on the rocks, you slowly crossed the river, desperately trying not to get your shoes wet.

 

_ Am I even going the right way? _ You asked yourself bitterly, panting when you finally reached the other side.

 

Scanning the edge of the bank and the treeline, you nodded to yourself.

 

Yes, this looked familiar. As  _ familiar _ as a million trees and rocks could get. 

 

You knew your old campsite couldn’t be far. It had to be in the vicinity of the river. But, because of the construction on the nearby road, you had to park your car in a different area then you were used to, resulting in your expedition through an unfamiliar part of the woods.

 

Digging your foot into the dirt bank, you hauled yourself back into the trees, adjusting your heavy backpack. You only had a few hours before night would fall, and you had to finish your goal before then.

 

You had to find someone. 

 

******

 

A few months ago, your friends planned a short camping trip to a nearby forest preserve. After a rather tough week at school, Vivi (your ever adventurous best friend) decided to pack everything into her massive pickup and drive there for a fun ‘get-away.’ 

 

Gripper National Park wasn’t exactly your ideal vacation spot. The trees were tall, dark, and loomed threateningly as you drove closer and closer to it. You had only ever visited it once, as a kid, and it was the same then as it was now: menacing, mysterious, and something out of a horror movie. It looked like the type of forest where serial killers would bring their victims.

 

On top of that, there had been  numerous reports of people disappearing in Gripper due to ‘unknown circumstances.’ So,  _ why _ in the name of all that’s holy would Vivi ever decide to go there? It was obvious to  _ you _ that this was just a set-up for an awful thriller flick - but that didn’t seem to cross Vivi’s indifferent mind.

 

When you had tried talking her out of it, she started to make fun of you.

 

“You’re such a scaredy-cat!” She had complained. “Nothing is going to happen, stop being paranoid will ya? This doesn’t have anything to do with your stupid ghosts, does it?”

 

Vivi’s words might have stung a bit, but you didn’t stay mad at her long. Sometimes you wondered if you were sane yourself.You had promptly relented then, too upset to continue the conversation. And thus Vivi, you, and a few other friends decided to come for a weekend. 

 

 

In short, you could…  _ see things. _

 

More specifically, things other people couldn’t see.

 

It started when you were younger, about five or six. You kept noticing a strange blob float in and out of your vision when you were at school. When a teacher asked you what you were staring at, you had pointed and said you could see the ‘squishy’ playing with another girl’s pigtails. Of course, the teacher merely wrote it off as a child’s active imagination.

 

Until you had an accident. 

 

The things you saw varied in size and shape. Sometimes they were innocent squares or circles that only moved when something inanimate bumped into them. Others resemble animals - like that cat that likes to perch in a tree in your front yard. They often repeated actions and behaviors, and never left the spots you found them in. Some of them, however, were  _ human-like. _ And humans were unpredictable. 

 

That one day in the fourth grade, you were walking in the hallway with a friend of yours when something massive blocked your way. In your surprise, you stumbled and ended up tripping right into the dark figure, passing right through it. You had never  _ tried _ to touch any of the things you saw, scared of getting hurt. But, you realized that day that you  _ could, _ and when you did, you just  _ phased _ past them. 

 

Being young, you didn’t find an immediate solace in that fact.

 

It was a human, that much was certain. But, it was covered in so much  _ red _ that you had trouble distinguishing which gender they were. You stared at them from your spot on the floor, wide-eyed and fearful, as it stared back. After a brief look of surprise passing through their blank eyes, they vanished. 

 

You had screamed then, telling everyone to run away. It took two teachers to wrestle you to the ground to stop you from hurting yourself in your tantrum.On top of being the school laughing-stock thereafter, you came to the realization that you were the only one who could interact with these strange objects.

 

Your parents had been called to the office in the afternoon, and you were punished with detention for disrupting the learning environment.

 

As you got older, you were relieved that you hadn’t been sent off to a doctor or an asylum. Your parents merely gave you a scolding back home - more out of concern than punishment - and you tried to move on. After that, you continually reassured your parents you saw nothing. 

 

Even though you  _ did. _ Every  _ single _ day. If you told them the truth, who knows where you would have ended up now? This would be a secret of yours for the years to come. 

 

It wasn’t until sophomore year of highschool that you told another person. That person was Vivi. 

 

Vivi lived in an old house on the outskirts of town - one built back in the 1800s with some of the original foundation intact. The first time you came over to her house, she lamented about the chill that was always present in her room. She deduced it was because of the poor insulation, but you saw the culprit almost instantly.

 

The woman was dressed in fancy period clothing. She was beautiful - with flowing dark hair and gray eyes. You hadn’t told Vivi right away, unsure of how she would take it. Instead, you researched into things. Apparently there had been two deaths on the property - one of them had been a young woman by the name of Taylor. Seeing a picture on the internet, your hunch was confirmed. The woman you had seen in Vivi’s house was the same person as Taylor.

 

You saw a ghost. A dead person.

 

Vivi didn’t take your discovery very well, as expected. She said she believed you, but after that, she kind of tried to forget about it. You didn’t blame her - you were just happy she hadn’t told the entire school you were insane. 

 

Taylor never spoke to you, but once she realized you could see her, she liked to float near you more, pointing at things to convey meaning. When you were alone in the living room one time, you had found out her favorite color was blue.

 

You had eventually learned to deal with the things you saw, and never mentioned your growing knowledge of them to anyone else. There was no way to describe it without sounding like a lunatic, anyways.

 

The reason you were at Gripper right now, was because you had  _ seen _ something - something unlike  _ anything _ you had ever encountered. The months after your camping trip to the forest, there was an unnatural tugging in your chest to come back. You  _ had _ to find out more. You just had to. 

The first night in the park, you were roasting marshmallows when the ground had suddenly started shaking with tremors. Panicked, you had dropped your smore and gripped your lawn chair, heart jumping. You had thought it was an earthquake.

 

Casey, noticing your reaction, furrowed her brows at you, asking what was wrong. You came to the horrid realization that none of them could feel the sensation. 

 

Drawing everyone’s concerned gazes, you had laughed it off and told them it was nothing. The conversation then returned to normal, shifting to lighter subjects - like the upcoming summer fest in town. The ground still hadn’t stopped shaking, the vibrations becoming recognizable.

 

_ Footsteps. _

 

Something was headed toward the campsite, and it was something only you could feel.

 

You struggled with indecision for a long while, half-heartedly participating in the conversations to mask the fact that you were freaking out. You wrestled between telling your friends, and waiting to see if the source of the sound would appear. 

 

After ten minutes of restlessly squirming, the footsteps had suddenly stopped.

 

Laying in your tent, hours later, they had started again. 

 

This time, you were too frightened to move from your small cover. Huddling deeper into your sleeping bag, you covered your mouth to muffle your erratic breathing. You watched in fear as a massive shadow casted over the translucent material of the tent. Whatever it was, it most certainly wasn’t an animal. It was far too large to be a bear or any other predator. Vivi and Casey laid unperturbed beside you, sleeping peacefully.

 

This happened  _ every _ night during the trip. For three days, you curled up in the tent and pressed yourself in your bag - worried that whatever kept visiting your campsite would harm you.

 

On the last night, your curiosity got the best of you.

 

As soon as the footsteps alighted in your vicinity, you peeked a cautious head out. 

 

You would never forget what you saw. 

 

It - It was a robot. At least, that’s what you  _ thought _ it was.

 

You have seen some weird things in your life; giant spiders with a million legs, birds with three eyes, trees with arms. What you saw now topped every single one of those other encounters.

 

The being was humanoid, entirely metallic, covered in purple-black plating that glinted in the low light. It was  _ tall _ , too. Bigger and more compact than any ghosts or blobs that wandered back home. You were probably small enough to fit in its palm.

 

Shocked, you let out a gasp, immediately clapping your hand over your mouth. The robot swiveled its head around, meeting your terrified face with a blank mask. Nothing happened in those slow-moving seconds. You felt your entire life flash before your eyes as you continued to stare back at the faceless being.

 

It tilited its head, almost curiously, taking a few steps to your left. The fire had been put out, so the only part of its outline you could see were glowing, purple lights. They brightness trailed after the moving figure, betraying the smooth, calculated way it was walking.You sunk further back into your tent, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. You had already lifted your leg and placed your foot underneath you, ready to leap up and run away. But, it seemed that you had been caught. Maybe you still had a chance to pretend you couldn’t see it?

 

It kept walking towards you.

 

Nope.

 

_ If it takes one more step I’ll scream and wake everyone up- _

 

You froze as a thick cable darted at you, aiming for your head. You squeezed your eyes shut in reaction, covering your vulnerable face. 

 

After nothing happened for another brief moment, you opened them up in confusion. The cable was big enough to effectively clamp over you -

 

It had phased right through your body.

 

You blinked several times, looking up at the robot. A strong chill erupted across your skin, causing goosebumps to rise on your exposed arms.

 

Did that mean it was…?

 

As if had confirmed a hunch, the robot backed up, pulling in the cable with it. It melted into the shadowy treeline before you were able to say anything.

  
  


******

 

You were back at Gripper National Park to find it again. 

 

It was stupid from every standpoint. It went against any form of logic. Here you were, in a creepy forest known for its missing people, chasing an apparition that may or may not really exist. You didn’t even really  _ interact _ that much with all your other discoveries. What if they actually  _ could _ hurt you? What if this was something more than just a hallucination, and you were diving into knowledge that should not have been been accessed in the first place?

 

The experience, however, was so vivid and unique, that you couldn’t help but seek it out. You needed to know. You  _ wanted _ to find out the extent of your weird ability. If that meant you had to take a risk, then so be it. 

 

You trudged on.

  
  


******

 

His name was Soundwave.

 

He wasn’t a ghost. He was a Cybertronian - an alien. You found that out on your fourth trip to Gripper. 

 

That was all you were able to tell from what he showed you through his visor. Soundwave never spoke, he communicated through images that flashed on that mask of his. Despite your burning questions, he never answered why he was stuck the way he was. If finding out there were sentient robots on Earth wasn’t a big shock in on itself, then finding out he was trapped another dimension was just as mind-blowing. 

 

The things you saw - they all came from another plane. It made some convoluted sense, but you were just happy to find out you  _ haven't _ been hallucinating all these years. It was so liberating, you had continued to come back on a weekly basis, finding time between your schooling and job to seek out Soundwave again and again - to learn  _ more. _ You had set a routine, meeting up with the bot at the same clearing each visit.

 

You were now in a one-sided conversation with the him; it was the fifth time you had scaled your way past the river. 

 

Legs crossed, you sat comfortably on a flat rock. Soundwave was standing next to you, observing his surroundings. He didn’t mind you following him. Since the first encounter, he was just as curious about you as you were of him. That might be because you were the only one who could see him.

 

“How are you going to get out?” You questioned him, peering up under your eyelashes. “If you’re stuck like that…?”

 

The mech shifted, chuffing. He didn’t answer you, but he did move to sit down, fluidly bending his lithe body to press against the rock wall beside him. You watched curiously as more images flickered across that visor of his. Soundwave turned to face you as his mask pinged. There was a repeating animation of some kind of glowing vortex.

 

“A portal?” You squinted at him, “Where are you going to find one of those?”

 

He outstretched an arm, pointing a long finger north. You frowned, the obscure answer not doing much to reassure you. You huddled against your legs, biting the inside of your cheek. His responses befuddled you. If you could somehow get stuck in that alternate dimension, did that mean there were ways of getting in and out? What about Taylor and other humans?

 

Soundwave suddenly bent down, his mask obscuring your entire vision.  _ “What else - can you - see?” _

 

The voice startled you at first. It was like a broken record - a mash-up of multiple sounds to connect in a sentence. You stared back at bot, slowly processing what he was asking.

 

“Lots of things,” you answered, “weird shapes, animals, even humans.” You flashed him a bright grin. “Nothing like you, though! You really scared me back at the campsite.”

 

Soundwave’s frame rumbled, nodding as an affirmative. He didn’t move away from you, however, allowing you to observe him more thoroughly. He was intricate, a being comprised of complicated mechanical parts and pieces - otherworldly and intriguing. It’s strange, you thought, how close you could be to this amazing creature, and yet still feel no presence. The sunlight shined past his body, but he cast no shadow. 

 

_ “Inquiry,” _ Soundwave tilted his helm in the other direction (he seemed to do that a lot). 

 

You blinked, “Inquiry…? Oh, are you asking a question?”

 

The bot nodded again. 

 

You beamed innocently, “Ask away!”

 

He shifted, his wing blades coming around so that he was directly facing you. The way he was positioned was imposing - he loomed like a mountain over your delicate form.

 

_ “Assistance - required. Will you assist Soundwave?” _

  
  


******


	2. Are they harmless?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> * You start your trip with Soundwave.

 

When you had agreed to help Soundwave, you hadn’t exactly thought about what that might entail.

 

After your last encounter, you drove home in a frenzy and all but paced back in forth in your apartment for the rest of the night.  _ Assist Soundwave? _ How were you going to assist Soundwave? You had agreed partly because of your curiosity, and partly because of your eagerness. After all, when were you ever going to have this type of interaction with  _ anything else _ from that other world? This could be the one chance to get to see what truly rested beyond that “line” (as your favorite paranormal investigator called it). How could you pass this opportunity up?

 

When you finally got the chance to sit down and think about your decision, you realized how difficult it was actually going to be.

 

You were just a mere human, and Soundwave was incapable of interacting with much around him. You had been connected to what lay beyond the physical all your life and you still only had a bare understanding of what laws governed that strange dimension. However, you couldn’t even be sure of what you  _ did _ know, as the inconsistencies were just as common.

 

Regardless, you couldn’t just  _ leave _ him there. You would never be able to forgive yourself if you did. Even though the entire situation was less than favorable, you had already made up your mind after some mental deliberation. 

 

The following weekend you filled a hiking backpack up with food, water, and other life necessities. Since you didn’t know exactly how long you were going to be gone, it was better to be overly cautious than not. Soundwave had somehow been able to send you coordinates through your phone and with a quick Google search, you saw the location to be deep within the forest preserve. 

 

That very discovery made you quite nervous. There would be nobody around to help you if you got hurt, and you would be too far from the main paths to receive any cell signal. It was a big enough gamble on its own to go -- especially with an alien who you couldn’t say with utmost certainty  _ wasn’t _ a hallucination. You might just end up like all of those missing campers and nobody would ever know what happened to you.

 

You continued to pack, anyways. 

 

To chase away any interference, you told friends and family that you were headed on a quick road trip to visit a friend in another state. It was a weak bluff, but luckily those close to you bought it and didn’t seem suspicious in the slightest.

 

Their reactions themselves did hurt you a bit. Here you were, preparing for a journey to who knows where -- risking your life and well-being -- and they hadn’t even bat an eye. Sad part was, you realized, they probably wouldn’t even believe you if you told them.

 

Dawn of Saturday morning, you set out with your supplies back towards Gripper National Park.

 

While you had just been here recently, your arrival brought with it heavy air. A dead heat had settled, and the dewiness of the morning humidity clung to your exposed skin. You shivered involuntarily, despite the warmth, and locked your car as you shouldered your backpack. Peering inside your windows, you double-checked to make sure you grabbed everything before turning slowly towards the thick outline of trees. 

 

They loomed above you, ominous as ever. You only allowed yourself the smallest twinge of fear before approaching the foliage and stepping in.

 

******

 

Soundwave was exactly where he said he would be. 

 

Sheltered underneath the canopy, his dark form almost blended in with the shadows, the purple lights that lined his body the only giveaway that he was there. He was utterly still, but his head shifted minutely as you rather ungracefully tumbled out of the bushes. It had taken you upwards of an hour to delve this deep into Gripper, and the growing warmth of the sun was brutal on your back. Sweat had already gathered on your skin and your legs were growing sore. 

 

You panted, trying to draw in some air before you spoke to the Cybertronian in front of you. 

 

“Hey there! I made it. Sorry I took so long,” you greeted amicably. The bot tilted his head, his crown glinting in the sunlight. You took that as his form of saying hello.

 

Grinning brightly, you approached him, hands wrapped around the straps of your backpack. You took the chance to look around, noting the uneasy silence in the nature around you. The birds weren’t singing, the gentle rustle of the wind was gone, and the trees were statue-like. It was like time had stopped.

 

You felt a bit perturbed, but refused to let it show on your face. Pulling out your phone, you checked the time. As expected, your signal was gone and the small numbers on your screen read that it was almost 10 AM. Nodding to reassure yourself, you met gazes with the tall being in front of you.

 

“So, where are we headed?” 

 

Soundwave answered by standing, his metal plating groaning in a familiar way as he stepped away. In a beckoning motion, he moved an arm blade to encourage you to follow him. You did just that, shooting him another smile as you jumped past a downed tree and disappeared further into the forest. 

 

You chattered while you walked behind, unable to help yourself. It had been a while since you felt this giddy. 

 

“You know, the last time I ever went this far into Gripper was when I was a kid. My parents taught me pretty much everything about camping the few times we went, so I’m prepared with whatever you need me for.”

 

You hopped over another tree, struggling to dig your heels in some moss to haul you over a small hill. Now that you were far from any paved roads and pathways, mother nature deemed it fit to throw every living obstacle in your way. Between the prickly bushes and scraping branches, you were just glad you decided to wear long pants.

 

“I was always freaked out by this forest, though. Don’t know if you heard, but a bunch of people go missing here every year and they never get found. Police and newscasters blamed the ravines and fast-flowing rivers. Once you got caught, there wasn’t much stopping you from cracking your skull open on some rocks.” 

 

Soundwave hummed an acknowledgment, his head turning left and right like he was listening for something in the distance. You quieted down, allowing the mech to do his mysterious work. You took this opportunity to observe him closely. 

 

The bot’s steps were measured and careful, and for a being as large as Soundwave was, he was completely silent. The slight tremors of his weight were muffled by the peaty ground beneath, and he moved along like he was a ghost himself. Still, you noticed something peculiar. 

 

He seemed to be favoring one side, a slight gait evident as you looked closer. Your previous chatter was suddenly forgotten. 

 

“A-Are you hurt?”

 

The soft question caused Soundwave to halt, his head swiveling to give you what appeared to be a side glance. Eyes widening, you raised your hands to placate, “I’m sorry. I probably overstepped but I couldn’t help but notice--” You were cut off when Soundwave bent down to one knee, effectively gathering your full attention. Like before, he loomed over you, his frame shading you from your surroundings.

 

_ “Concern: appreciated, unneeded. Fuel Levels: low. Recommendation: increase travel rate.” _

 

It was the most you had ever heard Soundwave say, and it left you a bit dumbfounded. For a second, all you could do was stand there and open and close your mouth. When you finally processed what he had said with the mismatch of recordings, your eyes widened even further. “Oh…”

 

Seeing that you understood, the bot stood up once more and continued at his pace. You made sure to increase your speed, enough so that you could keep up beside him.

In the quiet minutes following, your concern grew for your acquaintance.  _ Fuel levels were low? _ Did that mean that Soundwave was running out of strength? The thought scared you enough to slip into a brisk jog. 

You supposed that made sense... Maybe that was why he had asked for your help? It wasn’t like you had asked him if there was any food for him in that other… dimension. It hadn’t crossed your mind. What did Soundwave eat anyways? It certainly couldn’t be the same thing as humans. 

 

The day progressed. Occasionally, you started a conversation (more one-sided than anything, but you found Soundwave to be a great listener). For the most part, the two of you traveled along the thick trees and crowded foliage. Sweat gathered on your brow, and soaked the back of your shirt where your heavy backpack rested on. You didn’t stop to take a break, fearful of Soundwave’s health. Instead, you took careful, timed sips of your water bottle and ignored the burning of your muscles. 

 

If you weren’t walking with such urgency, you might have appreciated the forest a little more. Lovely flowers -- chamomiles and forget-me-nots -- bloomed prettily in every patch of sun. They swayed gently as you passed by, and with some childlike delight, you picked a few and placed them in your front pant pocket. Perhaps after you helped your friend, you could take some pictures. What you enjoyed the most was the absence of all the ghouls that seemed to follow you without end. They always disappeared when Soundwave was around. You accepted that fact with much gratitude. 

 

Soundwave only halted late in the afternoon, just as the sun had hidden itself beyond the trees. The air had grown much cooler, but the humidity was a relentless presence. It was like the heat had chained itself to your arms and legs, making it that much harder to move at a consistent rhythm. You sighed in relief as you stopped beside your companion, eyeing the cliff face the two of you just came upon.

 

As you tried to catch your breath, Soundwave started observing the barrier ahead, scanning it at a mechanical pace. You shuffled beside him, unsure of what to do. It was rocky enough -- scaleable even. The issue with you was with the height.

 

You were going to have to climb it, weren’t you?

 

Gulping, you took some cautious steps towards Soundwave, craning your neck to address him directly. “Do we have to go over this to get to where you want to go?” 

 

He bent his head, giving you an affirmative. 

 

A small flash of panic sparked in your chest, but you tamped it down.  _ This is to help Soundwave, don’t chicken out this far! _

 

Rubbing your palms together, you nodded your head vigorously. In another instance, you might have looked for way around, but with the night settling in, you didn’t want to take any chances with climbing a wall in the dark. “Alrighty! Let’s do this then.”

 

Thankfully, your heavy boots were perfect for finding the right holds on the rock. The cliff was slanted just slightly, allowing the moss and roots to cascade down with gravity. It provided secure spots to hold on to, and as long as you didn’t look down, you were peachy.

 

You were about to call out to Soundwave and ask him how he was getting up, when a sudden rush of air blew up past you. Blinking, you glanced to spot Soundwave peering over the top, his head tilted in a questioning angle. He did that a lot, you noticed.

 

“Hey! That’s not fair!” You huffed, managing a nervous smile, “Easy for you, you’re like, what, five stories high? You were already halfway there!”

 

Soundwave chuffed in response, and you couldn’t help but notice how much the sound bordered on amusement.

 

Sucking in a sharp breath, you tore your gaze away and focused on your steady climb. “Alright, just give me a sec--” Right arm, shift two inches up. Left leg, mimic your right arm. Pull up. Rinse and repeat. You recited all you could in your head to prevent yourself from looking down. Regardless, your heart still felt the need to beat erratically and your chest squeezed with anxiety. You weren’t the biggest fan of heights, especially when the one person that might help you is currently incapable of touching you. 

 

_ Just focus. _ You pushed air out your nose.  _ Only a bit further…  _

 

The minute it took you to scale two-thirds of the cliff felt like an eternity. But when you finally,  _ finally _ , reached the top, you couldn’t help but release a small whoop. 

 

“Haha! Wow, I made it. Hey, Soundwave, you think I could maybe--” the words died in your throat as soon as you were able to peer over the edge. 

 

The grass that dipped into the cliff obscured your vision slightly, but you could make out what stole your breath just perfectly.

 

A  _ massive _ beast, shaped like some boar, was stomping a hoof into the ground at the other side of the clearing. It was entirely black, with leathery skin that held an oily sheen. It’s beady eyes glowed red, and the growls that emitted from its throat caused the soil to tremble. It’s image flickered, like you were staring directly into a dark flame. Soundwave had moved away from the cliff, settling into a defensive stance. His wing blades were drawn out, and the plating that made up his back seemed to stand, like a bristling cat. He was facing the beast, prepared to engage.

 

You were frozen still, gripping onto the grass as a lifeline. You had never seen an animal so large -- and judging from its appearance, you concluded it was most certainly  _ not _ from the reality you were a part of. Instead, it had to be…

 

The realization tore through you so quickly the fear hadn’t been given a chance to register yet. 

 

“Soundwave,  _ get away!” _

 

Your scream of warning distracted the bot, causing him to swivel. Something flashed on his visor but you didn’t know whether it was reassurances or instructions, as that was when the beast chose to rear up.

 

It’s bellows shook the ground beneath you, causing the rocks to shift. Some of it crumbled away in your hands, and you yelped in fear as you felt yourself slipping back. Before you were able to fall to your death, your leg desperately searched and managed to hit a solid patch of roots. Dangling precariously on the edge, you watched in utter helplessness as the scene unfolded.

 

Torn between your safety and the enemy, Soundwave could only brace himself for the attack. 

 

With one more roar and a scuff of sharp hooves, the beast charged. 

  
  


******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * so i might be extending this story to add one more chapter! im fleshing things out still but i have a basic idea of where i want this to go. hope you guys enjoyed!! we got a SPOOK piggy in this one :0 i wonder what will happen? hehe, thank you for reading!!! see ya in the next one! <3


	3. Where they come from.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> * It's a long, scary night.

  
  


Soundwave was not a careless mech. He did not make mistakes.

 

He was the Decepticon spymaster and Chief Communications Officer. Soundwave executed his duties with utmost precision. He had been --  _ remained _ Lord Megatron’s most loyal officer. Soundwave was capable of handling any situation. Soundwave was superior. 

 

However, from the moment he stepped upon Earth’s surface, everything began working against him. 

 

Lord Megatron had perished on a rock eons away from Cybertron. The Decepticon forces were no more, scattered to the wind. The  _ Nemesis _ had been taken over by the Autobots, who were in full command of the new cyberforming technology. Any high-ranking officers had either escaped or had been captured. 

 

And he was trapped.

 

The ever-capable Soundwave, fooled by human children that he had erroneously underestimated. Now, he faced an enemy he couldn’t scan, and couldn’t evade.  _ One foolish mistake after the other. _

 

Soundwave experienced odds worse than this -- often in the gladiatorial arenas and the deep haze of war. He clearly remembers sleepless night cycles where the pain of his wounds kept him awake, and the fierce desperation that accompanied the battles on Cybertron. He made it thus far with his own adaptability and efficiency. He understood very well that it only took a  _ single _ miscalculation to set things entirely off course. 

 

As such, in the cycles following the events upon the  _ Nemesis _ , Soundwave felt disillusioned. The cause he had followed, unwavering for  _ centuries, _ had suddenly disappeared, and the long-time leader (gladiator… warlord… friend) that spearheaded the movement for all Cybertronians was offline. 

 

_ No, _ he scolded himself often in the aftermath,  _ Megatron had long since strayed from his original path. _ Despite that, Soundwave followed. And now, it appears he was the only one that remained. 

 

He was left with much time to ponder over his escalating situation in the cycles that followed. Wandering the Earth almost blindly, there wasn’t much else to do. Soundwave traveled with his mire and guilt, growing increasingly desperate over retrieving fuel and keeping his symbiont calm. 

 

To make matters worse, attempts at communication were a complete failure in the strange dimension he occupied. The shadowzone was disorienting — it distablized his gyros and left his tracking system scrambled. With severely crippled sensory networks, Soundwave was unable to ground bridge to safety, nor contact any other Decepticons. 

 

He was stuck. Seen by no one, heard by no one.

 

Once, Soundwave might have been proud to have claimed that title. In his present situation, he desparetely wished for the opposite. He had been forced to preserve his energon supply, rerouting lines to directly siphon towards key systems. Energy was never wasted, and he made sure to keep Laserbeak close, limiting travel by flight. 

 

He spent ages attempting to find a working ground-bridge. Communications to the  _ Nemesis _ cut off, Soundwave made use of the dated maps he kept on his hard drive. After endless cycles of no improvement, his fuel tanks slowly deplete. Spare cubes that he saved in his subspace only granted a few megacycles each, and his inability to access fresh forms of energon doubled his risk of stasis. 

 

He had been on his last dredges when he had discovered the human. 

 

By some ironic twist of fate, the species of inferior beings that had put him in this mess in the first place now might be his only chance of getting out -- lest he offlines by starvation. There was no question in his next course of action. 

 

And now, as fate would have it, he was a practically a nanoklik away from his salvation when the alert on his HUD came flashing.

 

**STASIS LOCK IMMINENT… FUEL RESERVES LOW… 23%**

 

The creature was charging at him, and it rapidly closed the distance between the both of them. He had no more fuel to spend on prolonged combat. He must end this quickly, otherwise, he had no hope in continuing. Soundwave calculated his following path, spreading his wing blades and bracing himself.

 

_ This is the only way, _ he concluded, allowing the beast to ram itself into his frame. 

  
  


******

 

You shrieked when the boar crashed into Soundwave, hurtling the both of them over the cliffedge, barely clipping past your vulnerable head. 

 

The rush of wind was enough to cause your fingers to slip. A sudden, choking gasp seized your throat as your fell backwards, pinwheeling your arms in the air to catch your balance. It was no use, your hands landed upon nothing and you slammed roughly into the rocks, rolling all the way back down the way you climbed. 

 

In your freefall, you lost count of the amount of times you hit the stones. Every brush and bump seared past your padded clothing and bruised you like an apple. The sky and the ground melted into each other in a dizzying whirl before your vision was abruptly stolen from you. A sharp pain bloomed across your temple just before you lost consciousness. 

 

******

 

_ “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” _

 

_ You looked up from your journal, pulling an earbud out as Vivi approached your work table. She had a disappointed look on her face, red bangs drawn low over her eyes. She set down the library coffee you had requested and you took a sip before replying. _

 

_ “What do you mean?” _

 

_ Vivi sighed, plopping down in the seat next to you. Her backpack bumped your leg on its descent to the floor.  _

 

_ “The journal. Doesn’t drawing all those things… scare you?” _

 

_ You glanced at the pages you had previously been scribbling in, pursing your lips, “Not particularly, no. In fact, I find that it helps me.” _

 

_ Vivi stayed quiet for a moment, not moving to get out her books or take a drink from her cup. Her expression was shadowy, as if she was trying to hide what she felt.  _

 

_ Unsettled, you leaned back in your chair to face her properly. “What’s wrong? You asked. _

 

_ Your friend shook her head, “It’s nothing.” _

 

_ You didn’t believe that for a second. “Come on,” you urged, “Really?”  _

 

_ Vivi struggled in place, shoving aside her coffee before confronting you. “Cassie came up to me today saying some shit, and -- I don’t know, I’m just having trouble understanding some things.” _

 

_ You faltered, “Whoa -- hold up. _ Cassie _ came up to you and you  _ believed _ her?” _

 

_ Vivi didn’t answer, and you grew upset. “Vi, seriously, what’s going on? What could she have possibly said?” _

 

_ In a robotic motion, she yanked her textbooks from her bag and  flipped through them. “I didn’t believe her -- not really. She was just spouting some crap about how you had a mental breakdown back in grade school and you went to the school psychiatrist to get evaluated.” _

 

_ Your heart sank. A familiar sort of anxiety knotted itself in your chest. “Well, that’s not her business to go around talking about.” You said scathingly. Turning back to your journal, you scooted closer to the table and placed your earbud back in. You were about to dial up the music when Vivi spoke again. _

 

_ “Regardless of whether or not it's true,” she said you name with urgency, “this  _ really _ isn’t healthy. You are obsessed with the paranormal and looking so much into these things that you’re projecting--” _

 

_ “I’m not obsessed!” You snapped, shocked by her words, “I’m  _ coping! _ There’s a massive difference.” _

 

_ Vivi stared back at you, her gaze unwavering. “That’s not what it seems like to me.” _

 

_ Frustrated, you clenched your hands into fists,  frown deepening. “You just don’t understand -- no one ever did,” you lamented, “I’ve been seeing these things all my life and I would rather not be called crazy by my own  _ friend.”

 

_ “I understand very well that you are  _ hallucinating _ and you need help--” _

 

_ “They’re not hallucinations!” Your voice pitched, drawing the look of several others around you. Prompted by the attention, you quieted your voice, but you didn’t forsake the speed of your explanation. _

 

_ “I don’t know what to call them but they most certainly are  _ real.” _ You squeezed your hands together. “Every living being on this planet leaves something behind whenever they pass away. Thoughts, ideas, emotions, words -- you name it! They’re imprinted not just physically by the paths we choose, but spiritually. We shape these things into what they are. That’s why, when strong enough, they stay behind. Like that lady in your house. I’m just trying to understand them!” _

 

_ Despite your desparate words, Vivi didn’t seem all that convinced. In fact, she seemed even more upset.  _

 

_ Like you were being scolded by your mother, Vivi shoved her books into her backpack and gave you a withering look.  _

 

_ “While you’ve been trying to understand the  _ paranormal, _ I’ve been trying to understand  _ you.”

 

_ When she stomped away, you didn’t have the heart to tell her she left her coffee behind.  _

 

******

 

You awoke to complete darkness and the sound of your ragged breathing. At first, you didn’t move, muddled and confused about where you were. Blinking a few times, your eyes adjusted enough to catch the faint outline of a blade of grass, gently swaying in the cool breeze. You squinted, wincing as a flash of discomfort tore through your body -- and with it, the realization.

 

Like someone had jolted you, you sat up, hands flying around your body in a terror. By some miracle, your limbs were intact, and it didn’t appear like you had any sprains or broken bones. However, as your finger came up to touch your face, you noticed a strange wetness that had been swiped across your cheek. Pulling your hand away, your breathing grew considerably heavier as you saw the dark blood. Inspecting a bit more, you prodded at the awful gash on your forehead and concluded, yes, this was the culprit.

 

While relieved that you hadn’t been killed, your mounting concern got directed towards a more pressing matter.

 

_ Soundwave. _

 

Your muscles flashed in pain as you struggled to stand. Every cut and scrape stung harshly as your skin pulled. You ignored it all, stumbling back and forth and trying to find your footing as your head swam.

 

“Soundwave!” You gasped, “Soundwave, where are you?”

 

The silence stretched out in response. Night must have fallen while you were unconscious, because the pitch blackness rendered everything unrecognizable. You were unable to see anything past five feet. 

 

You were alone. In the woods. At night.

 

Fear gripped your heart, freezing you to the spot. Without your permission, your body started trembling uncontrollably, and a cold sweat erupted on the back of your neck. 

 

_ What were you going to do? _ You were alone in Gripper, hurt, and without a guide to lead you back to the main roads. As if things couldn't be worse, you had the  _ awful _ feeling someone -- some _ thing _ \-- was watching you. And  _ Soundwave _ \--

 

You sucked in a breath of air,  holding back the tears that threatened to spill from your eyes. In a push of sheer determination, you wrestled away the cloud of panic building in your head.  _ He has to be around here somewhere, _ you reassured yourself.  _ You have to find him. _

 

Testing your weight on both legs, you deemed the agony bearable for now. Your backpack must have been torn off during your fall, as you just noticed it wasn’t hanging on your shoulders. You wandered in a slow circle, sweeping the areas in front of you with your feet in order to look for obstacles. It wasn’t even a second later when you remembered you had your phone in your front pocket, and immediately pulled it out to turn on the flashlight. (Unfortunetly cracked in the top right corner, you mentally tucked away the problem of having to explain this messy situation to your friends and family afterwards).

 

You found the backpack right at the bottom of the cliff face. Its contents had, thankfully, not scattered all over. The straps were intact and you checked the items inside. Besides some crushed food items, your belongings seemed to be in good shape and you brought out the flashlight and turned it on. You hiked it on your shoulders, wincing when it rubbed on some bruises. Straightening out your hand, you cast the beam of light forward and cut through the inky darkness. You followed the curve of the familiar clearing, gently stepping past foliage and downed trees, trying to distract yourself from the increasing signs of destruction.

Right before the clearing disappeared into the brush, you paused. Taking another deep breath, you called out for Soundwave. In retrospect, this was not the best idea. Despite there being no intelligent response, the forest was  _ alive. _ You could hear the whispers on the air, riding with the breeze. The branches shook with unknown figures;  boughs bent underneath heavy, shadowy weights. There were eyes watching you. Something had tickled your ankle. 

 

Your lungs constricted, and you could instinctively feel every muscle in your body tighten in apprehension. Gripper was most certainly occupied -- with beings that are not quite as harmless as the blobs you often saw in school. The night was their time to come out. The beast from earlier -- no, that had been a  _ predator. _ And if there was a predator, there was  _ prey. _ That prey could have very well been Soundwave, which didn’t help calm you down. 

 

One part of your hysterical mind worried that what you might find further in the woods would prove what you had been dreading all along: Soundwave wasn’t real, and you had been following your own imaginations for the whole day. 

 

_ No. You can’t allow yourself to believe that. _ The thought was instantly dismissed before it could be allowed to fester. You pushed forward. 

 

It had been violent, as you soon found out. The ground was torn up by large footsteps, distinguable amongst the wreckage. There was a distinct smell, like the earth had been struck by lightning and it had left the air filled with electricity. As Soundwave and the beast fought, they had kicked up enough of the ground and surrounding trees that it had cleared an entire pathway into the forest. 

 

A splintered tree marked the end of it, where a strange blue substance glowed on its broken edges. Not wanting to analyze it, you swept past, nervously skirting around a shadow figure that had manifested beside it. It cooed as you went by, and you took that chance to call out for Soundwave to drown its words out.

 

“Soundwave!” Your voice wavered. “Soundwave, I’m over here!”

 

Silence. 

 

You increased your stride, shoving through the crumpled bushes. There were things crawling 

over your boots. 

 

“Soundwave!” 

 

Your flashlight shone right past a flickering image, and you immediately leaped towards it, almost slipping across the dewy ground. 

 

As you approached, your source of light caught onto the outline of a smooth figure, and you cried out in relief. Falling to your knees, you scrambled to Soundwave’s still body, coming up beside the crown of his head. 

 

“Hey, hey,” you whispered, “I’m here, are you okay?” 

 

There was no response, and your heart skipped a beat. This time, you swiped a hand through Soundwave’s cold outline, waiting for the slightest bit of movement.

 

When he didn’t stir, you gulped, a fluttery panic growing in your stomach.

 

You didn’t understand Soundwave in the way you would a human. He didn’t have a pulse, he didn’t have anything that you might have recognized to be a sign of life. For all you knew, he could be dead, and you had failed in helping him. You sat there, shock-still, waiting for him to come online and begin moving. But it never happened. 

 

Before your dark fear could cripple you, you set down your backpack and began frantically clearing away the damaged foliage from around you. Shoving your flashlight between your teeth, you dug a hole a few inches deep beside Soundwave’s head and began laying branches in the center. After much rummaging through your bag, you came upon your match and lighted the pile, a fire bursting into existence and brightening your surroundings. You couldn’t bear to look, but you saw shadows scuttle away in your periphery. 

 

Hands shaking, you brought out several more important items you packed. 

 

A bunched up sleeping bag, some trail mix, and a recently sharpened hunting knife. You had no idea what had happened to the beast, but just because you couldn’t  _ see _ it didn’t mean it wasn’t  _ there. _ It could have left Soundwave here to only come back and finish him off. 

 

_ Not like I’m going to let that happen. _ You glowered, already sawing off some longer branches to make the fire bigger. If it meant staying up all night to make sure Soundwave would be safe, then your mind was already made up. 

 

When you finally had a stable flame, you settled carefully beside your unconscious friend, legs trembling with the burst of effort; it took you three tries to untie your sleeping bag and even longer to open it up. You cocooned yourself as best as you could, sticking your hands inside and keeping a tight grip upon the knife. From your position, you had no choice but to wait. Wait for Soundwave to wake up, or for the beast to return. The latter a much more likely possibility than the previous.

 

It took only ten minutes for you to get antsy. At first, your scalp began to tingle. And then, a bad feeling crawled down your spine, prompting you to sit up straighter and train your eyes on the darkness ahead. You let out a shaky breath, rubbing your eyes and dragging your backpack closer to your body. 

 

_ Just wait. _ You urged yourself.  _ Don’t take your eyes off of anything. _

 

It wasn’t much longer after that when the exhaustion hit. The constant focus on the blackness in front warped your perception, and now it seemed to stare right back -- which, when you thought about it, might actually be the case. The voices didn’t stop either; it was a constant hum in the background of your awareness. Your bones ached and the enticing pull of deep sleep dragged your eyelids lower and lower. Every few seconds you had to pinch yourself to stay focused. You struggled against it, the panic and worry only saving you a few seconds each time your head lowered. But, soon enough, your eyes drifted close and they didn’t open for the rest of the night. You sank down, melting against the soft ground and slightly loosening your grip on the knife. Rest seized you, and the last thing you remember seeing was the bright glow of the fire, and distant pairs of glistening eyes.

 

******

Something touched you, drawing you from your rest and right into motion. You lashed out in a frenzy, slashing the knife manically. Instantly, you tripped on something and ungracefully landed on your face, narrowly missing stabbing yourself. You didn’t give yourself a chance to recover, as you scrambled up and whirled to face whatever had awoken you.

 

You couldn’t see anything, as your eyes were still blurry with sleep and halfway closed from the dried blood. Sudden movement in front of you drew your attention.

 

Eyes now open wide with relief and happiness, you watched as Soundwave bent his helm, nearing your stunned expression with his visor. 

 

_ “Inquiry: Recharge, complete?” _

 

You let out a garbled sound, slapping a hand over your mouth. “You’re okay!” You mumbled past your fingers. The relief felt like it was seeping out your pores with how viscerally you felt it, and you tried really hard to appear unbothered.

 

Soundwave nodded, lifting an arm to show you a rather deep gash on his side, right below his wide chest-plate.

 

“ _ System scan: complete. Injury: of low severity. Fuel reserves: critical.” _

 

With the blood still rushing through your head, you let out a sigh to calm yourself. “O-Okay, that’s good. Could be worse. What about that… that animal?”

 

The mech raised his other arm, pointing a long finger behind you. It was now, in the early light of the morning, that you saw the trampled path through the brush. The boar must have retreated, you concluded, noticing the massive hoofprints. Swallowing a bout of fear, you turned back towards your friend.

 

“Guess we better keep going before he comes back, huh?” Your breath ghosted in the cold air.

 

Soundwave stood up as if nothing had even happened, shaking off his limp and injured side like it was merely a slight nuisance on his part. Without missing a beat, he took a step, angling his helm in a way that signaled he was ready to go. You jumped, hurriedly packing your items and easing into his side.

 

This time, you kept the knife in your hand. 

  
  


******

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * hope you guys enjoyed! sorry it took a while yet again!! im glad you guys seem to be liking it so far, regardless xd
> 
> * i decided to take a portion of the chapter from Sounders perspective, and because i enjoyed doing it so much, expect more in the coming chapters LOL hope that part cleared up a few things about what happened to him after the events of TFP. as mentioned, im ignoring RID entirely ! if you have any questions or anything else, feel free to sound off below! until next time <3

**Author's Note:**

> *sixth sense vibes intensify*
> 
> sooooo hahaah i got inspired with this crazy idea i hope it just goes the way im planning it to. 
> 
> tumblr [here!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/skainswrites) c:


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